UK dispatches warships in response to Spanish threat to Gibraltar

[Syt]

Daily Wail: Navy warships dispatched as Spain invades seas around Gibraltar

Royal Navy warships have forced heavily armed Spanish ships to retreat from British waters around Gibraltar.

Relations between the 30,000 residents of the British outpost and mainland Spain have become strained following what the Foreign Office described as 'a violation of British sovereignty'.

The warships were dispatched after Spanish ships sent boarding parties to inspect fishing boats in British waters, despite having no authority to do so.

The Rock's inhabitants fear Spain could damage their economy by making moves to seize control of its sea and air traffic.

The incident on May 8 is the latest in a long series since Britain was handed Gibraltar in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.

The Spanish Government has refused to recognise that territorial waters were a part of that agreement and made repeated attempts to reclaim them.

For centuries Gibraltar has been a key strategic base for the Royal Navy.

The latest incident followed a day after Gibraltar's government vowed to block EU moves to give responsibility for the environment around the Rock to Spain.

A spokesman for Gibraltar's opposition GSLP/Liberal party said: 'The latest incident is far more serious than anything that has happened before. It represents a frontal challenge to British sovereignty, jurisdiction and control over Gibraltar's territorial sea.

'As such the UK must not only respond to Spain, but must also extract guarantees from Madrid that it will never happen again.'

The Government said it had made strong protests to Madrid.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'It's a violation of British sovereignty and something we take very seriously indeed.

'We hope they will stop doing it.'

Madrid has not yet reacted.

A week before the latest incident a Spanish launch manned by paramilitary police was sent into Gibraltar's waters before being seen off by a Royal Navy patrol boat.

Zombie Francis Drake is unperturbed and continues his game of bowls.

[syk]

Funniest thing about it is the inevitable dickwaving contest on Pox OT. 

[CountDeMoney]

Funniest thing about it is the inevitable dickwaving contest on Pox OT. 

Since it involves warships and conflict and plain impoliteness, wouldn't the topic just be banned?

[syk]

Funniest thing about it is the inevitable dickwaving contest on Pox OT. 

Since it involves warships and conflict and plain impoliteness, wouldn't the topic just be banned?

Definitely would if Sweden was involved.

[saskganesh]

Spanish trawlers again?

give Paul Watson a commission.

[Savonarola]

We don't want to fight but by jingo if we do
We've got the ships, we've got the men, and got the money too!
We've fought the Hidalgo before and while we're Britons true,
The Spaniards shall not have Gibraltar 

[Josephus]

Funniest thing about it is the inevitable dickwaving contest on Pox OT. 

Since it involves warships and conflict and plain impoliteness, wouldn't the topic just be banned?

Definitely would if Sweden was involved.

Or Jews.

To be honest, though, Gibraltar is not worth fighting for anymore. The time when naval bases in the Med were an important part of British military strategy are long gone.

[The Larch]

Funniest thing about it is the inevitable dickwaving contest on Pox OT. 

It has already started, but at least the Spanish posters are taking it mostly in jest. 

[Josquius]

Or Jews.

To be honest, though, Gibraltar is not worth fighting for anymore. The time when naval bases in the Med were an important part of British military strategy are long gone.

Its more than that though. Its a British city that wants to stay British.

[CountDeMoney]

Its more than that though. Its a British city that wants to stay British.

Didn't help out the Hong Kongers, now did it?

[Josquius]

Its more than that though. Its a British city that wants to stay British.

Didn't help out the Hong Kongers, now did it?

There was the legal expiry date for the new territories to think about there.
And the PRC is a lot scarier than Spain.

[The Larch]

Or Jews.

To be honest, though, Gibraltar is not worth fighting for anymore. The time when naval bases in the Med were an important part of British military strategy are long gone.

Its more than that though. Its a British city that wants to stay British.

It's not even British anyway, it's one of those overseas territories thingamajigs that allows them to call themselves Brits when it's to their favour, and to say that they're not Brits when it suits them.

[The Brain]

Zombie Sir Richard Grenville won't yield to the Spaniards.

[Norgy]

And the PRC is a lot scarier than Spain.

Link?

[jimmy olsen]

And the PRC is a lot scarier than Spain.

Link?